Barletta, Kanjorski differ on tax cuts, senior drug plans

Candidates also are on opposite sides of Social Security reform.

"I don't believe it's the complete answer, but it's better than doing nothing," he said. "It could help senior citizens right now, and they can't wait."

Kanjorski, who voted against the Republican plan, said it was "a sell-out to the drug companies and HMOs" that wouldn't help elderly people in Pennsylvania.

"If it doesn't pass the smell test for being intelligent and reasonable, I'm not going to vote for it," he said.

The GOP plan called for insurance companies to offer the drug benefit, with premiums around $33 a month and a $250 annual deductible. It would have covered part of drug costs up to $2,000 and everything over $3,700. But beneficiaries would have to make up the gap.

Democrats proposed a plan with $25 monthly premiums and a $100 annual deductible. The plan would have covered 80 percent of drug costs until a recipient had paid $2,000 out of pocket and the full cost of anything additional.

But the Democratic plan would have cost an estimated $800 billion over 10 years, compared with $350 billion under the Republican plan.

Kanjorski said a key flaw in the Republican plan is the assumption that insurance companies would offer the benefit in an area like northeastern Pennsylvania, where elderly are a large part of the population.

Sitting near the sidelines and criticizing both candidates for their mud-slinging is Reform Party candidate Thomas McLaughlin, an engineer from Bartonsville making his third run for Congress.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 11th District

The district covers: all of Carbon, Columbia and Monroe counties. Part of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.